Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-07
ITO be contjn1ed)
Marriage Superstitions.

The Washington correspondent of Har
per's Bazaar tells of some the supersti-
tions of Washington people-including
the president-respecting marriages,
which are amusing to say the least:
The traditions as to wedding customs
are nowhere more faithfully followed than
in Washington, or by ladies who have
lived in Washington when married in
other places. Showers of old shoes and of
rice are sure to be scattered over the
bride and groom from many hands as
they set off on their wedding journey,
and sometimes they become unpleasant
missiles. Before the bride leaves the
house she always losses her boquet into
a group composed of her trademarks,
and the one who catches it feels certain
that 1t is an augury of good luck to her
In soon bringing about her own marriage.
More than once this has proved true, but
still more frequently the fortunate
bridemaid who has secured the ring in
the wedding collation. has been the next
one to marry. In fact, Washington girls
| feel they have right to be supersti.iOns
about getting the ling in the brides cake,
so often has its pleasing prediction been
fulfilled among their friends and ac-
quaintances.
When, about two years ago, the daugh
ter of Senator Harrison. of Indiana
grandson of President Harrison), was
married to Mr.. Mckee, of Indianapolis,
at her parents home in that city, Miss
Kate Davis, daughter of ex-senator
Davis, was the lucky bridemaid who
found the ring in her slice, when she,
with the other attendants, cut the cake
at this wedding. In year she
was married in Baltimore to Mr.. Brown
OF the navy. and had a most brilliant
wedding. Two years ago Mr.. Thomas,
of Elizebeth, N. j., was married in Wash
ington ut the residence of Mr.. Douglass
of Pennsylvania, formerly Commissioner
of Internal Revenue, to that gentlemsn's
wife's niece, Miss Lyon, and the bride
maid secured the ring was Miss Miriam
Clark, of Erie, Pa She met a. tina
time Mr.. Thomas, the grooms' elder bro
Their, who was then his "best man." and
they were married at Erie, Pa, on No
vember 9, Nor are the great of our land
exempt from the influence of the potent
charms these wedding customs are sup
posed to exercise. ExPresident Hayes
always wears plain gold ring, of which
he tells the story that he and Miss Lucy
Webb (now his wife) were, many years
odShs ptiueuldlo anu SrOUIlSDldu together
at wedding in Ohio, and he got the ring
in his slice of cake, and of course. gave
1t to his bride maid. When subsequently
they agreed to marry each other, she
gave it to him as an engagement ring,
and he has worn it ever since. 1t will be
remembered that they celebrated their
silver wedding or twenty-fifth anniversary
of marriage, in the White House, Decem-
Der 81, 1877. the first Winter after his in
auguration as President. There is some
reason to believe that President Clsve-
land, too, suppose rs he was to be con-
tirmed bachelor, was influenced by a
weddingcake charm, for it is perfectly
true that wedding cake and piece of
paper with ladies' names upon it were
put under his pillow at Washington
hotel the night before his Inauguration,
with the set purpose, privately avowed by
those in the secret, of-putting thoughts
of matrimeny in his heart, and so bring
ing about wedding in the White House
and having married lady preside there,
which hope was fulfilled last June, when
he married Miss Folsom, one of the five
ladies whose names were on the list
which accompanied the wedding cake.